Happy Easter!

Easter was a gray and overcast day, much cooler than our normal at this time of year. Very bleh. My son-in-law was working (the residential school is of course 24/7/365) so my daughter and Miss D came over for an Easter brunch. I went off plant-based for a traditional brunch menu of quiche and fruit salad. My daughter and I toasted her grad school accomplishment with mimosas served in her grandmother's etched crystal glasses.

I hadn't made a quiche in many years and just sort of winged this one - I threw in some steamed and squeezed to within an inch of its life fresh organic baby spinach, chopped a small onion, shredded some swiss cheese, and of course mixed eggs and cream. It turned out fabulous if I do say so myself, and my daughter pronounced it delicious. Even the child who was on a non-eating day nibbled two bites and approved. I sent the leftover half home with them, because I really don't need those calories.

After brunch we took a drive up to Mount Dora. We had a destination for Miss D; Gilbert Park. The promise of a big playground was enough to lure Miss D into a car ride, and I haven't spent much time in Mount Dora, ever, so I was curious too. It really would make sense for them to move up into Lake County in the next year or so, if that's where they'll be working. Miss D, who had dined on two chunks of watermelon, two bites of quiche, and a bite of a biscuit, promptly passed out and napped while we drove around.

I'm sort of fantasizing about an adorable bungalow in downtown Mount Dora. It is Asheville in miniature, and I actually could afford my dream of a restored bungalow walking distance to the tiny charming downtown. They aren't out of my price range, but I do have to think hard about giving up the conveniences of living where I do. I'm in the sweet spot of close to absolutely everything I really need, while Lake County is still decidedly more country. It's also decidedly more charming, but...charm...convenience...charm....I don't know. I can argue vigorously on either side of the debate.

There's time to think about that.

While we drove around and discussed, Delaney snored softly in her car seat. Just as we were deciding to turn back for home and take her to the playground close to the house if/when she woke up, she popped awake and announced, "We're going to the playground!" My daughter reports that it's not unusual for her to wake up from her nap and continue the topic she'd been discussing before she passed out, as if she hadn't just slept for an hour or so.

So then, the choice: A 40 minute drive with a now wide-awake 2 year old asking when we'd get to the playground, or a u-turn for a half hour at Gilbert Park. We chose the latter, and she loved it. The only way she'd leave quietly was with the promise that she was going to go back to Grandma's (briefly, to collect the goodies the bunny left for her and the leftover aforementioned quiche), but she did leave the wonders of the playground without drama. We then lured her from my house to go home to hers with the thought that daddy was home from work and missed her. She left all smiles, clutching her stuffed My Little Pony and Hello Kitty water bottle. Murphy tried to chase my daughter down the stairs when he saw the quiche was leaving. He really misses being able to eat stuff like that.